Perhaps. But I go on the basis that County have about 1,000-1,500 diehards who go to most games, and the remaining 2,000-odd of our home gate is drawn from a pool of maybe 20,000-25,000 people who go to a small number of games per season. That pool is made up principally of friends of diehards, interested semi-motivated locals, and armchair fans of “big clubs” who will come if we have a high-profile game or are on a good run. The challenge has always been to get that pool to come to 10-15 games a season rather than 6-10, and is the key factor in improving our gates.

We can argue about the numbers, but I’d assume you agree with that basic premise.

That pool now have the option to spend £10 instead of £20 to watch a game, if not less (it’s quite conceivable that three or four mates might split the cost and watch it together at home over a beer). I cannot see how that won’t harm us directly (lost income) and indirectly (reducing the pool of fans who feel enough of a connection to come to 6-10 games a season).

I think where we disagree is that I don't believe for a second that any casual County fan who is interested enough to potentially go to the match is going to NOT go yet still choose to pay £10 just to see what happens.

People who live away from Newport, maybe but it's a different argument as if they're not there they're more likely to be paying to watch.

If it's readily available on free tv I'd say that was a very different argument.

The match today is away from home. We would have received £0 from everyone who now chooses to pay to watch online.
This is likely to impact away attendances more than home if at all.

Alan G Bryant wrote:Apparently this game is being streamed live on ifollow despite being a Saturday. The reason being that it is a not a full football league programme.
Will our game also be streamed, anyone know?

Whatever anyone's views on the subject there doesn't appear to ever have been a chance that our game today was going to be screened online.

According to Andy Holt the Accrington Chairman, Oldham were one of three clubs who were not aware of the broadcasting rule that allows EFL games to be shown online whilst internationals are taking place. Apparently there are another four occasions they can be shown this season as well.

Amberexile wrote:The match today is away from home. We would have received £0 from everyone who now chooses to pay to watch online.
This is likely to impact away attendances more than home if at all.

Although the obvious counter-argument to that is that if Saturday 3pm streaming happens regularly, it’ll have a negative impact on away attendances at Rodney Parade, which sometimes make up a significant proportion of our total gate!

Your point also ignores the indirect cost on the club playing away - the subdued atmosphere caused by a lower number of travelling fans, and the damage this does over time to fans’ affinity to the club.

Kairdiff Exile wrote:

Amberexile wrote:The match today is away from home. We would have received £0 from everyone who now chooses to pay to watch online.
This is likely to impact away attendances more than home if at all.

Although the obvious counter-argument to that is that if Saturday 3pm streaming happens regularly, it’ll have a negative impact on away attendances at Rodney Parade, which sometimes make up a significant proportion of our total gate!

Your point also ignores the indirect cost on the club playing away - the subdued atmosphere caused by a lower number of travelling fans, and the damage this does over time to fans’ affinity to the club.

Which is the point I was making. However I believe the if at all part is most likely at our level. If you travel to our away matches you will know that few if any of the people who travel regularly would miss an away trip to watch at home. I don't think our fans are any different in this matter to those of other clubs.
Lower league football isn't sustainable as it is. Change is needed. This may be a change that helps. It would be irresponsible to not at least try it and evaluate the outcome.

Amberexile wrote: If you travel to our away matches you will know that few if any of the people who travel regularly would miss an away trip to watch at home.

I do travel to (some) away games; I probably watch Newport away 3-4 times a season and at home 8-10 times a season. I’ll be one of the ones making the long trip to Tranmere in a fortnight’s time. I’d always pay to watch a game live rather than watch it on telly - that’s why I don’t have S*y Sports, BT Sports or any other service, and why I’d never subscribe to iFollow. But I also know that I am in a small and dwindling minority who hold that view. Most casual fans take the cheaper and easier route, and the Football League are giving it to them on a plate.

I agree with your point about possibly experimenting with new ideas to reinvigorate interest in the lower leagues. The problem is, I have zero faith in Shaun Harvey and the Football League to do that in a way that isn’t riven with self-interest and greed, and in a way that will be deleterious to the long-term interests of clubs at our level. They f***ed us over with B Teams in the Spot A Scab Trophy, and theyll f*** us over with this if it suits them. Even some of the chairmen are saying this change was pushed through without its implications being highlighted or discussed.

I watched the game on iPlayer in Copenhagen today. Nobody who can get to a match will watch online in preference more than once, there is simply no comparison.

Have to say it's not going to affect my attendance, probably won't even be going to a home game over Xmas this year due to the schedule, but they will get a lot more of my £10s for showing it on tv than they would have otherwise.

Having said that, they need to be a LOT better at advertising what's available on iFollow Live video coverage - we've established the Carabao Cup isn't, I doubt the Checkatrade will be, and randomly adding 3pm Saturday games on international weekends at no notice might hook me for the NEXT international break but it's too late for this one.